Department of Facilities Management

430 Justice Drive, Lebanon, Ohio 45036

Director – Trevor Hearn

The Department of Facilities Management was established in 2012 by bringing together related Building Services Divisions and the newly formed Project Planning, Design, & Construction Management Division. Currently, the department operates multiple related divisions comprising the following major functions - Project Planning & Construction, Building Services, Grounds Services, Custodial Services, Security & Life Safety, Procurement, Asset Management, Cell Tower Management, and the County’s fueling stations. As a result of SB153, “Ohio Construction Reform” legislation, the Director can now serve as the County Architect, eliminating the need for outside consultants and enabling greater control over large capital projects and their costs. Warren County has been aggressive in the adoption of the design-build delivery method (SB153) which allows for faster construction delivery, mitigation of financial risk to the County, flexibility during the process, the ability to use an in-house design staff, and most importantly, significant cost savings. Financially, the process realizes a higher percentage of the project cost in what is considered “cost of the work” or the actual cost of the construction components, trades, materials, etc. As well, design-build is based on open-book accounting where the County is directly involved in all financial decisions, sub-contracts, and resource allocation.

The above not only translates into significant cost savings for the County and the specific project’s bottom line but by programming and designed the project in-house, tighter controls are in place to guide a project to a successful outcome. All aspects of the project are under the direct control of Facilities Management which results in a shorter timeline, a project that directly responds to the needs of the client, and the flexibility required to quickly respond to issues that arise during the course of construction.

The Department’s primary responsibility is the planning, construction, and maintenance of all County owned and operated buildings and grounds. Most of the County’s facilities are situated within the City of Lebanon and located on two government campuses. Currently, Facilities Management jurisdiction extends to 625,000 square feet of occupied space in 20 buildings. In addition, there are multiple out-buildings, fueling stations, and other non-occupied facilities. The County also maintains a portfolio of approximately 405 acres of ground and 70 acres of parking lots.

The departmental operating budget and appropriation for 2014 was $4,450,347.00 with approximately 40-45 full time employees. This fiscal year budget is inclusive of all departmental expenditures with the exception of Capital Projects which are funded by the Board of County Commissioners via separate appropriation on a per project basis. The Facilities Master Plan has been developed to allow for phased and measured project implementation over a multi-year period. The primary goal of the Master Plan is to alleviate the current over-crowding experienced by many of our County’s offices and departments. In addition, we will be continuing to update our existing facilities aging or end-of-life infrastructure. This incremental approach will allow for these projects to be funded with cash-on-hand, again resulting in overall savings to the County.

The Facilities Management organization is unique in its approach to public capital projects and has responded appropriately to the ongoing growth the County has experienced and the robust building plan detailed in our master planning. As a result, we have skilled trades in the department that work in teams of varying size and are project specific. The vast majority of our projects are self-performed from design, to permit, to construction. This allows us to respond to current and future needs more flexibly and deliver a much better end product at considerable cost savings. We are fortunate to serve a County that is growing and has a solid financial outlook. In turn, we have evolved the department to respond to this unique set of circumstances offering a turn-key solution to the tenants/clients that we serve.

Facilities Management is dedicated to providing a safe, clean, and comfortable working environment for County staff and the visiting public. We strive to provide the highest quality workmanship, response time, and client satisfaction. Our mission is to take great pride in the creation and care of the built environment through excellence, innovation, and leadership.

The Board of County Commissioners Meeting is held on Tuesdays at 9:00 am and the 2nd and 4th Thursday of every month at 5:00 pm. Thursday meetings are on an "as needed" basis and the Board may schedule or cancel as deemed necessary. If you plan to attend a Thursday meeting, please call (513) 695-1250 to confirm the meeting has not been cancelled.